Hallmark, Walgreens Launch Digital Innovation

10/22/2013
Staying in touch with a personalized greeting card while on the go just got a bit easier. Users of the free Hallmark Go Cards mobile application for iOS now have the option to create and order a paper card within the app and pick up the printed personalized card at a local Walgreens store the same day.

"Imagine snapping a photo with your phone, adding the photo to a card in the Hallmark Go Cards app, placing the order and picking the card up at a Walgreens store on your way to a birthday party," says Paul Barker vice president and general manager of Hallmark digital. "This blending of the digital and retail world reinforces Hallmark's commitment to innovate in this increasingly busy and mobile world of ours and makes it seamless for customers to create a card when they need it, wherever they are."

Users of the Hallmark Go Cards app (find it at http://www.hallmark.com/apps) have been able to create a personalized paper greeting card complete with photos and a signature, and have it sent straight to someone's mailbox. The added enhancement of in-store pickup at local Walgreens stores by way of the iOS version of the app makes it possible to have the card in hand that day for in-person delivery, or to send through the mail.

Cards available through the app are 5x7 inches folded and are printed on card stock. Choices include cards for birthday, thank-you, love & flirts, just for laughs, well wishes, holiday cards and more. Cards created for in-store pickup cost $1.99 each (envelope is included, postage is not); those created through the app and addressed and mailed through Hallmark cost $3.49, to accommodate postage, addressing and handling.

After they've created their card and are ready to check out, Go Cards iOS app users see the option to either have the card printed and mailed to the recipient by Hallmark, or printed at a local Walgreens store. The GPS within a mobile device automatically shows Walgreens stores in the immediate area that have in-store printing capability. App users can also enter a zip code to find a Walgreens store in a different area. Currently about 4,000 of all 8,000 Walgreens stores in the United States have the necessary printing capability.
 
In addition to the new Go Cards iOS app in-store printing capabilities, the Walgreens web site and in-store kiosks are adding 50 new personalized card designs from Hallmark for Christmas, and another 200 choices for wedding, baby and birthday. 

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